Portable safety-stop for railways.



G. M. FERGUSON. l POR-TABLE SAFETY STOP FOR RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25, i912.

I" Lm., famed Jim@ 15, 191.5.'

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

` Gf Ni.- FERGUSON.

- PORTABLE SAFETY STOP FOR RAILWAYS.

APPLICAUON r|L.Ep`s'EPT.26. 19112,.

i tion to signal that workmen are engaged in repairing'cars on the track bey0nd`the sigencarar: n. rnn'en'son, or ELYarn. caro.

ronrAnLn snrnfrnsrorvnon. BAILWAYS.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented-5149x215, 191.5-l

Application filed September 26, 1912. Sea1jNo.'722;,482.

To all whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE FERGUSON, a citizen of the United States, residing :at

Elyria, in the county of Lora1n andState of- Ohio, have invented anew and *useful Portable Safety-Stop for' Railways, of which thev following is a specification'.

My invention relates to the classof safety devices used in protecting and .safeguarding the persons of railway employes when engaged in making repairs to or beneathfrailj4 l way cars positioned on 'a railway track for'.

switch track.

One object of my invention is to providel a portable safety stop -for railway tracks having novel means whereby the apparatus-. v is readily secured or fastened in place at the' desired pointon-fthe railway track, in posinal vand having means for derailing the cars of a train-causedto approach the cars being repaired in the event of the target or signal l not being observed by the-engineer or trainmen of the approaching train.

Another object of my invention is to lprovide a portable safetyjtrackztarget and def railer forming a safety stop having improved means whereby the apparatus is rendered visible either by day or by night.

The invention still further consists in the novel features of construction whereby the' apparatus is held and is'locked in position on the track and by which its unauthorized removal-is prevented.

'Still further objects of the invention will appear as the apparatus is more fully described and claimed hereinafter.

Referring to/ the accompanying drawlngs forming part of this specication, Figure 1 `is aside elevation of a portable safety'stop l as constructed and arranged andl applied for use to the r'ail of a railway track, in accordvance with my invention Fig. 2 is 'an vend elevation of the apparatus showninf" Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail plan showingtheconstruc- -ticn of the derailer forming part of my improved apparatus. Fig. 4; is an end eleva-vr tion of the derailer-shown in Fig. 3.l Fig. 5

is a sectional end elevation', taken on -the line V-V of Fig.`3 Figs. G and 7 yare simi- Alar sectional end elevations, taken'resp'ecf tively'on the lines VI-V' and VII-VII of Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is av plan showing a modiied form of derailer constructed and arranged and adapted for use in. formingmy improved safety stop.

' therethrough in which the T-headed pin l or In 'the drawings' a designates the derailer v which is applied for use on the rail 3 of .a v

railway track. In positioning 'the derailer 60` onthe track rail l3 it is placed on .the top surfaceof the rail head with the end 4 of the depending hook' liange 5, which is '1ocated on one side of the derailer2, in engagement with the end vof one ofthe splice. bars` 6 used in connecting the adjoining ends of-the rails in therailway track. The depending-flange '5 has va hook portion 7 which' is arranged to engage: with the under :side i* off theihead of the track rail Thel op 7.0` pos1tels1de of the derailer 2 on the end 4v thereof is Vprovided with .an 'overhangingV portion 8 having a'square opening or hole!) ,bolt 1.0 hi's secured in fastening and locking the derailer 2 in position on the trackrail 3 to which it is applied for use. vThe pin 10. has projecting portions 10"v 1'1 and '121cm| three sides of one end, each of these portions having vface portions beveledto lit a different section of track rail. The shank or upper end of thepinfl has a groove or slot 13 therethrough inavhich i theftaperkey 1.4 is inserted in securing the p1n-10 1n positlon on the derailer 2 and the smalleroendof the key 14 has an opening 15 i .therein through which the hook '.16 o? a .pad-

lock 17 vextends in locking the'derailer tol the track vrail 3 so as toprevent its. beingv f removed. or tampered with by persons other than those yauthorized to remove' the; fdef `railer, such authorized for the-padlock 17.

As will be seen by reference yto 'if 7 the upper' face of thev derailer 2 s-pro'- f vided with vertically extending' ridges "orig flanges 18 and 19 which extend across il f face vofthe derailer atan. oblique 'angle" in- 'i 'y /or grooves formed thereby being symmetf rical about the lengthwise center of the derailer.4 At 'one end of the derailer2 a verticalpostcrv mast 2 1i'sjsecuredhaving a persons havingi1 key i oi supporting a lantern 27 in` such manner that the lantern will b`e suspended in front of the bulls-eye 23 of the target 22 for use at night or in places which are dark. Transverse holes extend through the lugs forming the slotted or forked end 2G of the arm in which the hook 29 of a padlock is'placel :in locking .the handle ci* the lantern 2i' to vthe arm or supporting bar 25. Fixed to the post or mast 2l adjacent to the lover edge oi the target 22 is ashelf or bracket 3l which extends horizontally and is provided on' its marginal edgewith a series of vertically extending bent portions;

32 forming lugs which engage With the lower edge of the base of the lantern 27 so as to position the lantern in front of the target 22 and prevent its swinging when VVAsuspcirnlcd from the arm 25.

The derailer shown in Fig. 8 is provided with a bent arm and target 22 which are constructed in the same manner as has been before described-and the derailer 2 also is provided with a pin lO-and taper key l-l `which is positioned and held on the rail2 in the same manner as described in connection With the preceding figures.

In using my improved apparatus the derailer 2 is positioned 'on one of the rails 3 of the trackwith its end 4 in engagement with the end ot'a splice bar G on the track. The pin lOis then inserted in the opening S) in the derailer 2 'and the taper key l-/l is placed in position in the slot 13 in the end ot' the pin 10. 17 is then placed in the opening 15 in the end of the key 14 and in this manner the .derailer 2 is locked in'position on the track rail 3, 'The hook 7 on the depending fiange 5 of the derailer together with one of the hooks l0" 11 or 112 on the pin l0 engage with the under surfaces of the vrail head so as to prevent liilfting or the derailer 2, While side- Wise movement r ldtlie dcrailer on the rail 3 is prevented by' the depending [lange 5 on one side and the shoulder l0 oit the pin l0 on the opposite side of the rail head, lengthwise movement ot' the derailer on the track rail being preventml in one direction by engagement oi" the end ot the hook 7 on the flange with the end ol the splice bar The hook i6 of a padlock insane? When it is dark, as at night, the lantern 27 is suspended from the arm 25 so that rays of the light Will shine through the bulls eye 23 and in this Way make the target visible in both directions tor a considerable distance o n eachA side of the target.

The advantages of my invention Will he apparent to those skilled in the art. The apparatus is simple and isk easily kept in repair. By the use of my improved portable apparatus a signal or target is easily and quickly placed in position at any point along a railway track to give notice to the traininen von approachingv trains that Workmen are engaged in making repairs beyond the target and give warning that the approaching train should stop. rThe derailer forming a base for the support olf the signaliuf'ill cause approaching ti' to leave the track in cases where the si1 pal or target is not observed by the engineer or the trainmen of the approaching train, and in this Way liability ot collisions with the cars bcing repaired and injury to the Workmen' engaged in making such repairs is prevented and Overcome. y

lVith the construction shown in Fig. 8

the derailer can be positioned at any point on a railway track so that a stop signal. will be given by the. target or, in case the signal is not observed, the ears Will be derailed by engagement with the derailer When going in either ot opposite directions.

Modifications in the details oi the construction oit the parts may be made Without departing from my invention as defined in the appended claims.

1. The combination with a derailer having a raill head engaging `flange on one side, aslotted lug on tlicother side, a securing member passing through the lug and adapted to engage beneath a rail headopposite the flange, and a lock for holding the securing member in position.

2.- The combination with a derailer having a rail head engaging iange on one side,

a slotted lug on the other side, a securing i member? having a transverse slot passing through the lug'and adapted to engage bcneath a rail head opposite the flange, and a locking device comprising a Wedge adapted topass through the transverse slot and hav- .ing a padlock shackle receiving'opening in its smaller end for holding the securing member in position.

In witness whereof, I

my hand. l

GEORGE M. FERGUSON. Witnesses Aura Minnie, ll'. C. J'oiiNsoN.'

have hereunto set 

